The 2024 NFL season might be as unpredictable as any recent year in pro football history. This is exceptionally true with the Minnesota Vikings since the team is expected to look much different from their 2023 campaign.
Despite many changes to the Vikings roster, most discussion involves the quarterback position. Kirk Cousins will be soaring with the Falcons this season, leaving Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy to take over that role in Minnesota.
Expectations regarding the Vikings' quarterback play for the upcoming season are all over the place. Some experts have absolutely no faith in Sam Darnold to keep Minnesota competitive while others are hopeful he can thrive under head coach Kevin O'Connell.
Vikings voyage with Sam Darnold predicted to end before 2024 season finishes
One of the boldest predictions involving new Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold comes from Sports Illustrated where Connor Orr issued a huge statement regarding his potential play during the upcoming season.
""The 2018 No. 3 pick of the Jets will have a short runway as the Minnesota Vikings’ starter before he gets traded before the Nov. 5 deadline to a contender that has an injured starter, paving the way for the J.J. McCarthy era to begin in Minnesota.""Connor Orr - SI
Darnold would need to be playing solid football to be considered as a trade candidate for a Super Bowl contender. The fact he believes an AFC contender would trade for his services would open the door for rookie J.J. McCarthy to take over as the Vikings' starter.
Orr says that the AFC contender will beat the pants off the Jets late in the season, creating headlines. One look at New York's schedule means the team in question could be the Dolphins, Jaguars, or Bills since those are the Jets' late-season opponents on their scedule.
If the Vikings can get some solid play out of Darnold and trade him before the deadline, that would be great value for their offseason signing. In addition, Darnold will have bought time for McCarthy to learn and develop before getting into a starting role.
There are several extremely bold predictions in the Sports Illustrated piece that would make the 2024 NFL season even more interesting. Orr also believes Minnesota will hit the over on one of their projected win totals (6.5) and that Aaron Jones will register over 35 receptions for the purple and gold this year.
Let's hope Orr is right about all these predictions.